Wijnaldum tells Newcastle to stick with McClaren

Before the daunting visit of the Reds, former England boss McClaren was reportedly under pressure at Newcastle, with the club having won only two league matches all season.

However the Magpies produced a thoroughly impressive display, beating Jurgen Klopp’s men 2-0, easing the scrutiny on McClaren.

“For this club, he is the best we can get right now. I hope the club will give him the faith and keep him here,” Wijnaldum said.

“It is not his fault that we performed badly. It is the fault of the players. That’s the thing in football. When results go wrong, everyone says the trainer is responsible for that. It’s not fair every time.

“I didn’t know there was talk about his future but against Liverpool, we fought hard both for him and the team.”

Dutch international Wijnaldum has been one of the few shining lights for Newcastle this season since his arrival from PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

The 25-year-old forced Martin Skrtel to put through his own goal, before completing the win against Liverpool with a well-taken second.